One of my favorite songs is Simon and Garfunkel’s “Feeling Groovy” and nothing makes me feel groovier than taking a slow walk Saturday around Lady Bird Lake in Austin. The song goes something like this with apologies for some modifications:
“Slow down you move to fast,
Got to make the Saturday last,
Just kicking down Lady Bird Lake,
Austin is great and feeling groovy.”
Here is a picture I snapped last weekend during my weekly trek. These turtles sure know how to Slow Down, bask in the sun, and feel groovy.
While the word Groovy may have been out of vogue since the Seventies, slowing down to regroup is still key to a better life. Even more so in this time of constant noise and nuisance. Nothing restores the soul and the spirit then a good podcast, a crisp wind and nature all around.
Slowing down is the key to the healthy and happy life. I seldom miss a Slow Walk Saturday for the following three reasons:
1. Time to reflect and adjust. When we are running from one task to the other, there is seldom time to reflect, learn from experiences, and adjust. I find that when I slow down and quiet my mind that I come up with the answer that I need. Proof point? I have been so busy with work and life that I have been having writer’s block. A few minutes and miles and I had ten new ideas when I had been stuck for at least a week. Sometimes the best thing when you are struggling for a solution is slow down, quiet your mind and be thankful for the nature all around you.
2. Destress and feel blessed. Nothing stokes compassion and soothes the soul than to experience nature. It is hard to feel hassled when you see 20 turtles sunning on a log or see a bird take flight. It is a wonder this world! Our role is to revel and reflect the love of God in his creation. Not to strive and stifle. Slowing down makes us thankful for the pauses and pleasures that are in each day!
3. Listen and learn. When you are alone with your thoughts and those of a good book, you learn new things about yourself and your place in the world. I recommend to everyone the library application Libby which provides audio books for free if you have a library card. I have learned so much while walking and listening from how Changing your Habit can Change Your Life to How to be 10% Happier. Truly my Slowdown Saturdays have made me a better person!
Life is not a sprint. It a slow walk to the better angels of our nature. So, take the time to slow down and feel groovy.
This Friday marked a major milestone on my road to recovery from a major heart procedure. A little worse for the wear but not so bad if I do say so myself. Luckily our instructor did not end her usual unleash song, Tina Turner’s Rolling Down the River. I would have ended up breaking Rule 2 below and looking more worn. I simply can’t resist going 120 RPM’s on the chorus of that song.
For those of you follow my blog regularly, you know how much I love spin class. I fell in love with the music, movement, and madness that is spin about a year ago. It is indeed one of my favorite ways to relieve stress. But before getting back in the saddle, I first had to follow these three rules:
1. Rest, recover, relax. This first rule was the hardest for me. Having lost a ton of weight a few years ago, I was nervous that taking time off to rest and recover would throw me back off track. So, I did a very stupid thing and broke this rule. I went for a long 5 mile walk the day after returning from the hospital. Initially, I felt great as you can read in this blog. https://weightlossleadership.com/2019/02/13/a-heart-filled-with-gratitude-and-love/ But, it was not to last. During that whole week, I was recovering from the walk.
If I was going to get healthy,I needed to go back to the basics and follow this first rule. So, I took the entire next weekend completely off and rested and relaxed. It did a world of good and sped up the healing process. It is very important to take time for yourself and relax after surgery before diving into your normal regimen.
2. Ease back into exercise. The second step after taking time to rest is to ease back into exercise. As much as I wanted to, I did not get on the bike until three weeks later. Instead, I went back to basics and walked at a much slower pace and for shorter distances than that first Sunday. This less strenuous regimen provided two major advantages. First it allowed the bruise around the insertion point to heal. Second, it gave me a benchmark on my heart rate and gave me confidence the procedure had worked. I now was ready to take the plunge (or in this case the seat!
3. Unleash without fear. The last step is perhaps the most important one. Once you have taken the time to recover, you cannot be afraid to test the limits. It is the same lesson we all learned as kids. Get back on the bike when you have fallen off! I did watch my Fitbit carefully the first few songs but then gave into the vibe! You must trust in the professionalism of your Doctor’s and your own preparation. Get back in the saddle and ride!
And that is what I did and will continue doing. This coming Saturday, I will again be participating in Lifetime’s Ride for A Reason to fund the good work of St. Jude’s Children Hospital. Last year I rode all four hours and will hopefully do so again if the three rules allow. Please consider supporting the good work of St. Jude’s through a donation at the link below. The last picture is of me after last year’s event. https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR?px=4996114&pg=personal&fr_id=103544
This is the first blog of a many part series called Heroes in Health. Each series episode will be composed of two parts. In the first part, I will introduce a person that I and others consider a hero in health. Someone whose life, teaching and inspiration drives us forward to a healthier living and a better life. The second part will be an actual interview with the person. I am going to start off with a blog/transcript but hope to change it overtime to a podcast. The subjects that I hope to include are everyday heroes in health like spin instructors, football coaches, chiropractors, and health care practitioners.
I telegraphed this blog series a few weeks back in this blog when I mentioned one of the top ten influences in my life Julie Faircloth (see here The Why’s of Weight Watchers! ). Julie is the Weight Watchers coach/facilitator for me and hundreds of other team members in Round Rock/Central Texas area (WWW Round Rock ) She has been a Weight Watchers leader for many years and a member for even longer. We will get to more on that in Episode 1b.
By way of introduction, I would like to use an appropriate acronym for this Mother’s Day, 2018 – MOTHER in Weight Loss and a Freestyle Life. I use Mother not in a chronological way – Julie is more like a sister in that respect – but rather in terms of the way she guides both me and others in our Saturday class. Her teachings and inspiration have nurtured me and countless others during her career to our weight loss goals (she was my coach through my entire 170+ weight loss journey). In addition, she leads us not through a fad diet or intense Biggest Loser like competition, but an inclusive, instruction-based program at Weight Watcher’s called Freestyle. Unlike other programs based on the whim of the day, Freestyle focuses on the latest learning on the three pillars of health: Nutrition, Exercise, and Joyful living. The program uses weekly lessons on these pillars to provide team members the Freedom to Style their own, lifelong path to health living!
Mother both as a concept and an acronym is a good way of explaining why Julie is my and other’s hero in health. A mother teaches and nurtures her family to be the best rendition of themselves. Julie does this in her vocation as Weight Watcher’s leader daily. MOTHER also serves as a useful acronym to further expound on this concept.
Makes us better! – Julie makes us better through weekly lessons on the three pillars of the Weight Watcher’s program. I have learned so many things that have helped me change my life to be a better person. Here are just a few. I now use mindfulness and meditation to remove stress. I have transitioned from peanut M&M’s, pizza and chicken nuggets to apples, grilled chicken and other healthy staples. Indeed, I can now call up Smart Point and nutritional content for foods like a pastor can quote chapter and verse! Finally, I have rediscovered that exercise and fun are not antonyms!
Other Focused. Julie conducts her classes in an other-focused manor. She does not lecture but calls on all to participate with inciteful questions and empathy. Unlike coaches on shows like Biggest Loser, Julie does not cajole or berate, but instead provides a shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen. She provides guidance in a non-judgmental manner and allows the team to teach each other
Teacher. Julie is a teacher at heart. She is always prepared with the latest information and is patient in helping others learn the ways of healthy living and a health life.
Helpful and Hopeful. You cannot force someone to change through cajoling or force of will. Instead, like a mother you need to help them to learn on their own. Julie provides guidance in a helpful manner. A mother also inspires hope in her children and is always hopeful of their success. On several occasions, Julie inspired me to hope for a healthier life even when I was stuck on a plateau. I see her do this for others at each meeting.
Everyday Living. The Weight Watcher’s Freestyle program and Julie’s teaching is focused on everyday living. You are given the tools to make healthy choices and when you on occasion decide to deviate (which you are free to do) to get back on track. You learn how to get healthy and lose weight using the style that is best for you!
Renew and Rejoice. Each week I attend Weight Watchers even though I have reached my Weight Loss goal. I go there because of the environment that Julie fosters among our team members. We are renewed through sharing lessons and trials of the week and rejoice in seeing our friends reach their goals! I love the awards and seeing people rejoice in their new health!
To close, Julie is a true Hero in Health. Like a MOTHER, she nurtures and leads her team to a better life and healthy living! Thank you, Julie!
Today I was starting my normal Saturday practice that I initiated about two years ago. Each Saturday, I get up about 5 AM and go to Life Time Fitness in North Austin followed by a Weight Watchers meeting in Round Rock (read more about this practice here The Saturday Texas Two Step!). Normally I half groggily climb the steps to the gym in a daze. But today I noticed something different. On each step there was one word which when put together made this sentence: Every Journey Starts with the First Step!
Those words brought back to mind my first tentative steps in beginning my weight loss journey. 3 years later, I am 170 lbs. lighter and a whole lot happier and healthier. But when I first started out I felt a little like Bilbo at the start of The Lord of the Rings when he left the Shire and hummed:
“The Road goes ever on and on,
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.” J.R.R Tolkien
Indeed, the first steps of any journey are exciting but a little scary. Here are a few hints for you that are starting out on the Road to Health:
1. Get a good check-up before the Journey: Most people before they take their car out on a long trip get the oil changed or a tune-up. Before embarking on a weight loss journey, it is important to get a check up of your own. For me this was my first step. I, like most guys I know, hate to go to the Doctor. And when they do, they do not follow up. But in my case, I could not avoid it any longer. My shoe size had increased from a size 11 to a 12 ½ in a little over three months. I also was feeling tired.
What was shocking was when I first got my checkup, my blood work all came back great. Hard to believe but at 350+ lbs. my cholesterol and sugar levels were normal. But I knew something was wrong and my Doctor provided me with referrals to specialists that correctly diagnosed what was wrong. A few weeks, and a few appointments later, I had the medication and the CPAP machine that I needed. These two items collectively helped to get my shoe size back down to an 11 and take off 20+ lbs. of water that was slogging around. My advice to all new weight loss journeyers: Before starting out, get a checkup and take action on recommendations.
2. Play “Body May I?”: When I was young kid, back before video games (or even videos), we used to play the game “Mother May I?” For those unfamiliar with the game, one person (it could be Mom) stands facing away from a line of kids. Each child the takes turns asking, “Mother may I take . . . steps?” And the child who is mother replies yes or no. The game ends when the first person makes it to Mother.
Now it was up to the person that played Mother to allow the step or not. And there were different strategies to win. One strategy was to go big first and ask for “Two Giant Steps”. Often this strategy would fail because the Mother did not want the game to end and even if they granted you two giant steps at first, would decline the next few requests. Another strategy was to ask for some crazy, wacky step that the Mother wanting to see it, would grant. My favorite was the double twisty, flip flop step, which would be two cross over of my legs, followed by forward roll (my version of a flip/flop). This may win the first game on a good day, but usually Mother would disallow it or never allow it again.
No, the strategy that usually worked were a series of baby step requests, followed by a medium step or two to win the game. Mother would allow it because you were not being greedy. I would ask for it like this “Mother May I take one little, bitty baby step please”.
Now what the heck does this have to do with Weight Loss. Here is the metaphor. When you are starting out, instead of Mother May I, you need to ask Body May I. If you ask for two Giant Steps out of the gate before you are ready, you are likely to not be able to take any other steps due to injury. Likewise, if you go on a fad diet or exercise routine (the equivalent of the double twisty, flip flop step), you may lose weight for awhile but in the next part of the journey it all comes rushing back. No, when playing Body May I, you need to start off with Baby Steps and then progress to Medium Steps. That is what I did. I could not walk far because of my joints so I did low impact water aerobics. I then progressed to the medium step which for me was the elliptical trainer. By the end of the journey, I was doing 4 hours of Spinning non-stop or walking 50 miles in one day. Remember start out with baby steps and then progress.
3. Pack the Right Provisions: Before you embark on any journey, it is necessary to pack the right provisions. This is doubly true when trekking to your weight loss goal. The first thing that I did after learning about healthy foods from Weight Watchers is clean out my pantry of Peanut M&M’s and Cheeto’s and replaced it with fruit and other healthy snacks. These nutritious, yet energy packed foods, helped me grow stronger along the way.
4. Bring a Buddy: A trip is always better if you take it with others. Continuing on with the Lord of the Rings theme from earlier, Frodo did not face the Black Riders by himself. No he brought Sam, Merry and Pippin! When I started out, I had several groups that traveled with me along the way. These groups include Weight Watchers Saturday Morning group, my Sister in Law Sherri’s fitness group, and my company group Accenture Active.
In closing, you can’t complete the journey until you take the first step. So like another old 80’s Christmas Show, “Just Put One Foot In Front Of The Other, And Soon You’ll be Walking Out the Door!”
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking ‘cross the floor.
You put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door.
You never will get where you’re going
If ya never get up on your feet.
Come on, there’s a good tail wind blowin’
A fast walking man is hard to beat.
If you want to change your direction,
If your time of life is at hand,
Well, don’t be the rule, be the exception
A good way to start is to stand. Rankin/Bass
